Stewart Lee is back on the road after three years, and he comes back wonderfully refreshed and on marvellous form with this double header, Tornado/Snowflake.
Tornado, the first hour, starts with Lee reading out the wrong blurb that his show Comedy Vehicle was given on Netflix. It actually describes the B-movie Sharknado, in which sharks rain from the sky. The joke is teased out and weaves through the hour, as he chisels away at a favourite subject in his work, his perceived standing in comedy. Would anybody notice if they tuned in to his show after reading that description?
The mention of Netflix allows Lee to ruminate on the relationship between comedic talent and commercial worth, so he names names. Of course Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Carr are targets, but others too. There’s a set piece about US comic Dave Chappelle, which, in typical Lee style, moves from description of fact to sublimely surreal invention as he describes an evening that starts backstage at Leicester Square Theatre and results a scary chase around Soho. This being Lee, he manages to get a fine Brexit joke in the telling of the tale as well.
In Snowflake, it’s Tony Parsons, Ricky Gervais (again) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge who get it in the neck. The first is demolished in a gloriously pedantic essay on grammar, while Gervais is parodied for “saying the unsayable” in a lengthy riff that has no actual words, and Waller-Bridge is ridiculed for her “discovery” of addressing the audience directly. To be fair, she doesn’t claim this, but Lee nicely deconstructs the iconic status bestowed on her as he acts out how everything from Shakespeare to weather forecasters may have looked if they had not had the same lightbulb moment.
There’s so much comedy packed in that one could almost miss the deeper layers of Lee’s material. But it’s there, in the seemingly throwaway lines, or a detail in a lengthy tale, as he makes a deep dive into the post-PC age, and what those of a liberal bent are to make of it. But he likes to wrongfoot and tease the audience: as he slyly jokes at the top of the show, his fans have been “starved of the opportunity to participate in mass agreement” since he was last on tour.
While the trademarks of Stewart Lee shows – the sarcasm, the surreal invention, the faux self-regard and obsession with his place in the comedy firmament – are very much present here, he also introduces new elements to his performance: a playful physicality and literary spoofs. Despite the Alan Bennett section, complete with a passable imitation, slightly outstaying its welcome, he’s on top form and it’s great to have him back
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv